Canadian internet petition calling to make it illegal to refuse a blood transfusion
Jean-Claude Lavoie, a 26 year old Canadian Jehovah’s Witness, died in December 2006 after refusing a blood transfusion while being treated for an intestinal tumour, the Canadian TQS television network reported.
Former Jehovah’s Witness Jonathan Lavoie, Jean-Claude’s brother, has since launched an internet petition (written in French) calling on the federal government to make it illegal for a person to refuse treatment on religious grounds.
“The Jehovah’s Witnesses refuse blood transfusions for religious reasons,” Jonathan Lavoie writes on the petition’s website. “This creates enormous stress for the family.”
Jonathan maintains that his brother would still be alive if he had received a transfusion.
But Jean-Claude’s father told TQS he is willing to accept his son’s decision: “At the beginning it was anticipated that in his case they would be able to operate without a transfusion, but there were complications. It’s unfortunate, but it came to that. It’s important to respect Jean-Claude’s choice.”
@Stupid Laws
Hear hear good comment. The problem I have though is that some of these anti-blood nutjobs force their dogma on their own minor childen. This in my opinion is where authorities should step in.
Cheers,
Markus
While I understand that it should be illegal to refuse someone his right of a blood transfusion on the grounds of religious beliefs or any beliefs. I must disagree of his petition to push for a stupid law designed to outlaw stupidity and “protect” people against themselves.
People should have the right to refuse blood transfusions for themselves for any reasons even for no reasons. It’s their own body and the definition of freedom is not the freedom to do the right thing but freedom to do stupid things.
The whole concept of dignity and respect is based on the freedom to make your own decisions about yourself.
This law would be worse than the ills that it purports to solve and would set a dangerous precedent to further judiciarise healthcare and criminalize patients.
I must refuse this law even though I am an atheist, not a witness.
PLEASE MY ANOITED BROTHER HELP ME AND ASK BROTHER JEOL OKOYE AND BROTHER OSITA ONYENO BOTH IN ABUBOR NNEWI ICHI NNEWI WHAT I HAVE DONE TO THEM SINCE 2 MONTHS NOW THAT MADE THEM TO REFUSE TO SEND MY POBLISHER’S RECORD CARD AFTER MY ELDERS IN MY NEW CONGRIGATION HAVE ASK THEM FOR IT PLEASE TELL THEM TO SEND IT TO EZIHITE CONGRIGATION AMORKA PLEASE IAM BEGING THERE IS NO OTHER WAY I KNOW TO REACH YOU IAM BROTHER MICHAEL OKENWA I GOT BAPTISED IN AUGUST 2003